Study of a Mallard Duck........

We have a new exchange going on over at Drawspace. This one is Birds, Birds, Birds. This time there are 18 people in the group! I have a love-hate thing going for these big groups. I only do a card a day and it takes me forever to figure out what I want to do.

This was going to be 18 cards, done as a study of the pair of Mallard ducks, but I started looking at the female, she is going to take a lot of work. She might look all brown, but close up she is very detailed!





I do believe I am taking the thinking cap back out and doing something else for the rest of the cards.





I did these cards on plywood again, it is neat seeing how it affects the drawing. I had a hard time with the green on his head, it is very dark yet glows in the light. I did an underpainting in red to help push the darks.





I think I had some success with my Mallard Study and I got to try out some new things. I tried making gray for the birds side feathers using colours other than gray. I pushed myself for detail with the duck butt and did a fair job of it despite my whining (not quite as happy with the chest and back, despite same said whining!) Oh well it is all learning and I am off to do 11 more cards!


The photographs that I used for my study were all taken by my 10 year old son Douglas. The birds were living on my brothers pool cover.